[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

around her to keep her from stumbling forward. "Oh, this is
good. Andrea, meet Candy."
Everyone looked at Levi. He released Andrea and stepped
back. Her dress clung to his front, and he swiped at it,
smoothing a hand over her belly, then stepped away another
foot.
"This is the one all the others went out with." Jack pointed
at Candy, definite glee in his expression and tone.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Andrea smacked Levi
on the chest and spun on her heels, heading straight for the
kitchen.
"Fuck you, Jack," Levi growled. "Get the hell out of my
house."
"Ha. Right. Better go after her. I'll keep Candy company."
165
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
"I don't need a babysitter." Candy scurried to the
bathroom. She needed to think, and that seemed like the only
place where a girl could get some privacy.
She locked the door, put the toilet lid down, and sat there.
The old house had thin walls. She could hear everything.
"Oh, I know you slept with her." Andrea's voice had the
screech of a shrew to it. "And took a shower together!"
Candy glanced around. No evidence in there. Oh. The
towels were in the bedroom. And her shirt. Candy grimaced,
and the condom in the trash can. That meant Andrea had
already been in Levi's room. She put a hand to her forehead.
Could it get any worse?
"Calm down." Levi's voice, low, slid through the walls.
"You calm down."
"I say, get it all out." Jack's voice.
God, if she'd stayed out there, she would have had to hit
the man. Could he get the hell out of the middle of things?
Who the heck was he?
"Shut up, Jack," both Andrea and Levi said at the same
time.
"I think it's high time you two faced a few truths," Jack
said cheerfully. "I, for one, think it's about damn time Levi
brought a woman home."
"Shut up, Jack," both of the others repeated.
"No. I'm gonna say this. Andrea, shame on you if you run
this girl off."
There was total silence. Candy held her breath. Jack was
standing up for her?
166
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
"I hate you, Jack." Andrea complained then asked Levi,
"What do you see in her? I mean, really? You just met her.
You don't think you jumped the gun? That this...this whole
thing was motivated by that damn competitive thing you have
with Kyle and Noah and "
"No. That's not what's going on here."
Jack laughed. "This is priceless."
"Shut up, Jack," Candy muttered. She needed to hear
what Levi said, how he explained to this other girl what was
going on with them, because she had no clue.
"Then explain it. I'm all ears."
"Take one look at her ass, or her lips," Jack said. "I
understood straight up. Nice handful size tits, too."
"Get the fuck out," Levi growled. "Don't talk about her like
that."
Candy winced.
"Is that what this is all about? A little ass and lip service?"
Andrea's voice came through the thin walls on a squeak.
"Because that I can understand, as long as that's all it is. Is
it?"
[Back to Table of Contents]
167
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
Chapter Twelve
Levi struggled with his temper. He didn't want to explain
how he felt about Candy. Not to Andrea, not in front of Jack.
Not before he worked through it himself.
He wanted to punch Jack in the head. He wanted Andrea
and Jack, both, to leave, so he could figure things out, and
talk to Candy. She was gonna demand he take her home, and
never call again, now. Where had she gone?
"Well?" Andrea wasn't letting go.
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"How'd you end up ripping her shirt?"
"You ripped her shirt?"
"Shut up, Jack." Andrea explained, "I went into the
bedroom to put your clean clothes away. I wasn't expecting
to see a couple towels and a woman's shirt."
"Look. Stop with the third degree." Levi finally found a
little inner strength. "I can bring anyone in here that I want."
"I'm proud of you. Ripped her shirt off, eh?"
That was it. Levi rounded on Jack. It had been too long
since he'd trounced this particular cousin. A cousin on the
other side of his family.
Jack had been waiting for it, though, and he ducked. Levi
managed to throw him against the wall.
"I've had about enough of you."
"Yeah?" Jack came at him. "I've been waiting for this."
"What?" Levi felt a little confused. "For what?"
"Getting my old cousin back. Bring it on. I'm ready."
168
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
Levi and Jack had been dancing around each other for a
while. It seemed like a rite of passage in their family to take
each other on from time to time. Levi hadn't taken any of
Jack's bait for years, even though Jack had sure as shit
pushed his luck regularly. For the first time in forever, Levi
felt like there was something to defend, a reason to fight.
Andrea squeaked. "Stop!"
The impact of Jack's full body weight knocked Levi to the
floor. They rolled around, gut punching each other. Mostly
holding on.
"What is the matter with you two?"
"She's worth fighting for, huh?" Jack grunted in Levi's face.
"Maybe we'll see if you can hang onto her."
"Fuck." Levi found a burst of strength and gave Jack two
serious thumps.
"Ow." Jack laughed. "I'll give you a run for your money.
Count me in."
Levi uppercut several times, emphasizing each word with
another wallop. "You...keep...your... hands off. Ya hear?"
Jack slugged him upside the head, clipping him close to his
eye, bringing blood. It made a pretty loud thunking sound,
and sent a splitting headache right through his brain. Andrea
screamed.
They wrestled some more until Candy appeared over
them. Her voice wasn't loud. In fact, it was weird how it
registered with both of them about the same time.
"If you're gonna be stupid, take it outside."
169
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
Jack got another good one in when Levi's head came up.
That was it! Levi dragged his cousin to the back door. Andrea
held it open. Jack landed on the porch with a thud.
"Don't come back in."
"This is all your fault." Andrea turned on Candy, letting the
door slam before Jack could get to his feet.
Levi put the back of his hand to the bloody cut by his eye
and then a thumb to the edge of his mouth, which bled, too.
When had Jack hit him there? He tasted blood. His jaw hurt.
"Jesus, Levi." Andrea retrieved a clean cloth from a drawer
and ran it under cold water. "Let me take a look at that."
He sat down in a chair by the table and let her wipe it
down. Jack came right back in, of course.
"Why am I not surprised to see this?" He stumbled over to
one of the other chairs and asked Candy, "You see how it is
here, don't you?"
Levi eyed them sideways. Andrea had a hold of his face,
dabbing at his lips and eye, making it tough to do more than
that.
"What do you mean?" Candy sounded guarded. She had
her arms around her waist, hugging herself again.
Shrugging, Jack gingerly checked his ribs. "I think you
cracked something. Damn, Le."
"He's not bleeding. You didn't hit him hard enough,"
Andrea told Levi. "This one over your eye might need a
couple stitches."
"It'll be fine." Levi took the cloth from her, held it to his
eye, and pushed her away. The headache wasn't easing. Shit.
Probably had a damn concussion. That was just fuckin'great.
170
Candy's Kisses
by Carys Weldon
"I made pie." Andrea went to the cupboard and pulled out
plates and forks. "And brought whipped cream, too."
It was just like her, Levi thought, to try and ease the
situation with food. She grounded him in a lot of ways. He
hoped she could come to terms with Candy being there and
not push her away. How to talk about the whole thing,
though?
Candy stood in the doorway like an outsider, obviously
uncomfortable. He watched her for a minute, looking like she
wanted to cry or something. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]